One Question
by DawnofAzazel
Summary: Naruto is more jaded and discerning than in canon and so when the Hokage lets something slip Naruto notices Intelligent Naruto
1. Prologue

I hate them, I hate every single last one of them, especially the old man, I hate him the most with his false smiles and deceptive lies.

I'm not an idiot, I don't know exactly why everyone in Konoha hates me but I do know it has to do with the Kyuubi, which I assume has something to do with my ungodly stamina and chakra. I had long ago realised that sleep was a luxury for me and not a necessity, that was how I survived when I was younger I kept moving never staying in the same place I learned to read and write by hiding outside classrooms at the civilian schools.

The old man sent me to the academy to learn to be one of his ninja at the age of eight, to be a mindless weapon for Konoha, to be the shield that they sacrifice to protect them from the storm.

And learn I did every moment of every day I trained and studied not a moment of any day was wasted, I had no friends to play with and nobody that cared for me except the old man.

I loved him then, more than anything and anyone, I loved him far more than myself I would have died for him in an instant, the only person who had ever shown me kindness.

Everything I did I did it to impress that old man to see him smile at me, one day after showing him what chakra control I had learned after breaking into the library every night and training he mentioned that my father would be proud of me, and that stopped me cold.

I immediately gathered two important pieces of information from that sentence first either my mother wouldn't be proud of me, or more likely she was alive and hated me for whatever reason everyone else hates me and second that the old man who had told me I was an unknown orphan had just admitted to knowing at the very least my father.

And so it was that in just one seven worded sentence he had destroyed my world because my world was Sarutobi-jiji my world was based on the fact that I had someone who didn't hate me, who didn't beat me, who didn't rob me and most of all who didn't lie to me. That day was the day my innocence died, that day was the day I truly learned to hate and I hated him.

Looking up at the old man my voice turned cold and my eyes once filled with love and admiration for the man in front of me hardened with hate.

"Who was he old man?"

The startled face of the hokage peered down at me shock lined his features as he realised what he had just said and furthermore what I had just said, giving me a sorrowful smile he replied "I'm sorry Naruto but I cant tell you that yet"

Instead of whining or screaming, begging or pleading with the old man I asked perhaps the single most important question of my life so far "Why?"

Looking at me once more with that sad smile he said " I just told you Naruto I cant tell you that yet."

"I realise this and I did not ask you to tell me I asked why you could not."

Ahhh he mused "Well in that case the answer would be because you are not ready"

Looking at him with an incredulous face "I am not yet ready to learn who my father was?"

He gave a solemn nod and I continued my train of thought "I am not yet ready to learn who my father was, even though every other child in this village has learned of theirs the day they were born?"

"Am I that much more incapable than a new born old man?"

Before he could answer I asked "Why does everyone hate me? I asked you once before and you evaded the question I took that to mean you didnt know and because it seemed to upset you I didn't push you on it because I loved you. Tell me now why do you and everyone else in this village hate me? Should a criminal not at least learn of his crimes so that he may atone?

The old man looked at me his features marred with shock "I don't hate you Naruto"

"No?" I asked "Instead you lie to me about my family and refuse to tell me why I am hated, If I knew perhaps I could change perhaps I could find someone who doesn't hate me and I wouldn't be alone."

"Naruto" he said more forcefully "You are not yet ready to learn the answer to these questions."

Before he could finish I was walking out of his office, stopping just before the door I raised my voice loud enough to be heard from across the room "Know this, I hate you, I hate you more than I hate anyone else and I hate everyone else too" and then using one of they more imaginative curses that had been spat at me as I walked down the road "May your death be filled with pain and last years" walking out of the Hokages tower I then ran to the forest as fast as I could, when I was an hour or so in I stopped.

And decided that I needed to re-evaluate my life.

I owned nothing and had no-one, I lived a life of isolation with sporadic and violent moments of hate thrown in. I was not allowed to leave the village, I had tried that several times before I met the old man.

But I thought, I wasn't a ninja then.

My goal was chosen, a simple goal but one that for the near future would be impossible to succeed in my goal was to get strong enough to kill any that try and stop me from leaving the village.


	2. A Good Day To Die

Age 10

I had realised quickly that I would never be able to compete with an adult or even some of the larger academy students in strength and so I decided to focus on four main areas speed, weapons, ninjutsu and chakra with a little strength genjustu and fuinjutsu training on the side.

The first problem I faced was weapons I couldn't afford them and even if I could no-one would sell them to me and so I started grave robbing every couple of years the chunnin exams were held in Konoha and so every couple of years dozens of fully armed genin died in the forest of death.

Aptly named I mused as I continued to ransack the corse of a grass nin.

It was dangerous in the forest, hell at best for an academy student it was suicidal, I stayed around the edges finding what I could, mostly I found nothing or what I did find was damaged beyond repair but if nothing else running around Area 44 was good for my speed training.

I pushed myself harder and harder closer to my dream of leaving Konoha and finding a friend or at least quiet indifference, I hadn't slept for months and today it had payed off I had found three grass nin that were killed in the chuunin exams just last week and there was more than I could have imagined finding one of the grass nin was carrying a scroll of jutsu around with him solving a major problem I was finding ninjutsu techniques.

Academy students were allowed in the shinobi library but all scrolls other than most chakra control and all D rank techniques were locked up and guarded, only those accompanied by ninja were allowed in, which meant practically even clan member could get in and of course the councils little wonderboy Sasuke, not that he needed it he probably had a butt load of scrolls around his compound just begging to be read the way he keeps pulling fire jutsu out his ass during ninjutsu demonstrations at the academy.

Hey there is an idea the next time I get kicked out class for breathing, not breathing, answering questions, not answering questions or any combination there of ill go to the Uchiha compound and copy that little pricks jutsu.

In case you havent noticed I have a little problem with Sasuke, he acts like hes all alone in the world and no-one could possibly understand his misery and at the same time acts like hes better than everyone and even if someone could possibly understand him they wouldn't be worthy of being near him let alone talking to him because the Uchiha clan is superior.

Sometimes I just want to fucking stab him to death asking him what clan? There are two brothers who are both psychotic and one of them if he ever gets caught will get put to death. The Uchiha used to be a clan now they are a stuck up little boy who isn't even a tenth of what his brother is.

Of course should I ever do that I would be put to death and my plan is to live before I die and thus far ive never lived a day in my life merely survived.

But back to the situation at hand I had nowhere to put my had earned loot my apartment had been burned down a couple months ago.

I guess ill just carry it around in storage scrolls.

Looking at the sky I see how dark it is normally I wouldn't care about the time but today I did for two separate and equally valid reasons first after dark the truly dangerous creatures of this forest came out and I wasn't sure I would be able to deal with them and second someone invited me to a birthday and I don't think it was with the intent to kill me.

We first met in Area 44 she was in the process of destroying, well pretty much everything in sight, unfortunately for me she hadn't sensed me when she unleashed he last jutsu a fire dragon, or perhaps she had at the time I wasn't sure, I saw her eyes widen at the last second as she saw me just before her dragon reached me there was nothing she could do and she knew it, barely managing a kawarimi I escaped with my sleeve on fire my heart pounding and my breathing heavy as I shook Twenty metres behind her and heard her swear "FUCK! I can't believe I just FUCK! Now they will never promote me."

Perhaps I should have realised then but I didn't and it was my fault, Raising my voice I yelled "Hey lady I'm alright I got out just in time" she turned swearing the whole time and I finally got my first good look at her.

I had seen her around Konoha of course who hadn't?, she was not so affectionately dubbed the Snake-Whore by the majority of the villagers from what I had seen of her she had few friends and was obsessed with dango, sake and sex.

We got to talking and and I felt a sense of kinship with her, we were both outcasts hated by many for things that we didn't even do. Or at least I assume I didn't do whatever I did but without knowing what I cant be sure. Anyway she invited me to her birthday in a weeks time.

So there it was, moving out of the forest I went to a clearing a often trained at and stored my equipment in a hollow tree where a figured it would be safe I figured I wasn't going to be gone for too long I picked up her present a silver necklace with sapphires embedded that I had found on a corpse, not that I was ever going to tell her that. As I turned to leave I stopped and rethought the situation. Anko lived in the middle of Konoha, Everyone in Konoha hates me, why would I leave all my weapons here? Grabbing a couple of sai and two thigh holsters.

Running through the rooftops of the city to avoid the villagers I felt a warmth welling up in my chest that I hadn't felt sing back when the old man pretended to care about me. I thought about it as I ran and came to the conclusion that it felt nice. Letting my face slip into a soft smile I wondered if this was what it would always feel like when I left Konoha.

The first clue that there was something wrong was when I couldn't hear any noise coming from her apartment but I had a friend a sister in adversity even, I was giddy with joy and worse than that I was naïve, I should have realised that she wouldn't want to be an outcast with me if she could just be an 'incrowd member' it was wishful thinking, it was stupid but to be entirely honest she had me at hello, literally she is pretty much the only person that wasn't the old man that has ever said that to me. I hate myself, but I hate her more so much more nearly as much as the old man.

I knocked on the door and she let me in with an odd expression on her face I later worked out it was guilt, quickly lifting up her poorly wrapped present I gave her a soft smile and whispered "Thank you for letting me come I've never had a friend before, a tear rolled down her cheek and she nodded at the time I assumed she was happy, I had overheard people talking about crying from laughter and thought this was it, she led me into her living room and as soon as I stepped through the door she mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like sorry and she pushed me through slamming the door shut behind me, looking around the room I saw a large number of armed ninja their eyes filled with hatred and the promise of excruciating pain for me.

I wondered if this was going to be the day that I died and do you know what? Looking back on my life right there at that point in time I don't think I would have done anything differently as the first tear I can ever remember shedding rolls down my face I can quite easily say this week was the best week of my life because this week I had a friend even if only for a short time even if it wasn't real to her it was to me.

The lead ninja a tall man with silver hair and a eye covered pulls out his kunai and calmly says "This is for my sensei fox" and the next thing I know I'm stumbling backwards and the kunai is no longer in his hand and then the pain hits me sunken half into my stomach is the kunai he was holding and then there is a sharp pain in my right thigh, my chest and my left shoulder I look down to see three shuriken sticking out of me I look to the window and see the sun setting in the sky with a orangey red colour bleeding into the clouds even as feel blood rolling down my body and bits of flesh being rent from my body, Today I thought to myself was a good day to die.


	3. Everybody Dies

I woke up suddenly not the bleary pain of someone who had just been tortured into unconsciousness no, it was sudden as if a shot of adrenalin had been put straight it my heart I was awake alert and feeling totally healthy, which in and of itself was the weirdest part.

Had I not just been tortured presumably to death by a large group of angry Konoha shinobi? Either that was an odd dream or this is, or alternatively the afterlife is a gigantic sewer.

I suppose this could always be some kind of hell, odd i distinctly remember when I was a small child the very first thing that was told to me that I can remember was that one day someone would come along and put me out of everyone's misery and then I would burn in hell. Presumably then she was wrong about hell or I'm not there. Although I do have a feeling I'm not dead just for no reason I can understand, odd.

Thinking on that the closest thing to an answer that is mildly plausible is that Anko found my shredded body and noticed I was barely alive and out of guilt she healed me then proceeded to through me into the sewer.

Okay so that's retarded but its all I can come up with, whatever happened I assume its a long story.

Down one of the corridors I noticed a faint red glow and what sounds like a low rumbling noise, normally at this point a child would be warring two arguments in their mind the first would be mummy told me not to go down corridors with ominous red glows and low rumbling sounds, or whatever it is people tell their kids these days some sort of variation on dont talk to strangers generally followed by or him and I look up to find a finger pointed at me vs I wonder whats down there? Kids are an inquisitive lot.

Me? I thought fuck it whats the worst that can happen? Ill get brutally tortured to death? Ha that just happened, fuck it, down that corridor is where the action is, and away I go.

Actually along that line while I wander, I wonder if there is any silver lining to this cloud?

Talking to myself I muse well at least from now on Ill know that nobody can be trusted I suppose that's an important lesson for a ninja to learn, That and naivity will get me killed.

That was the moment I first adopted my motto my nindo if you will, Trust no-one , it wasn't long or pretty like some people it didn't have the deep honour association that something like the old man's Will of Fire had, nor did it have the simple minded innocence of the Yondaime's never abandon your comrades but that was fine for me because I didn't have any comrades I had people who hadn't tried to kill me yet, people who had tried to kill me and failed and potentially depending on where I am I had people who had tried to kill me and hadn't failed.

It was a simple nindo a realistic nindo and it was all I had.

Turning the last corner I saw something I was not expecting, and let me tell you I was waling into this with an open mind but seriously would you expect to find a 10 foot growling glowing red fox behind a cage? And then I saw its tail and by tail I mean tails nine tails to be exact, on the plus side this vindicates me of all those thoughts I had had that I may in fact be the Nine Tailed fox stuck in a human body with amnesia.

It was one of my more outlandish ideas but with the amount of people calling me "Demon" "Fox Bastard" or my personal favourite "You bloody demon fox bastard" however a certain amount of their suspicion had to be true.

I mean points against me being the demon fox its standing in front of me.

Points against me I'm clearly connected to it in some way I mean why else

My train of thought was interrupted by the Demon speaking in its odd rumbling way so loud as to nearly deafen me just by standing near it, "_**Ahh so I see my warden has found me**_" I stopped for a second to think about what it just said.

First I have an unseemly amount of chakra, Second I had a seal on my stomach when I channel chakra that is so complicated as to be unbelievable and Third everyone calls me a demon and tries to kill me or at the very least goes out of their way to make my day just that little bit more miserable, okay conclusion time I have a lot of chakra in a seal in me, the Kyuubi is made of chakra, everyone calls me a demon...

The Kyuubi is sealed in me... FUCK!

"Okay fox why have you brought me here?"

"_**How dare you speak to me in such an insolent tone? I will destroy you mortal scum"**_

"But you can't can you? I can see clear as day that you are locked in that cage" The only answer received in turn was a low growl, "Dispense with the theatrics fox you obviosly brought me here for a reason, answer my why did you bring me here and where exactly are we?"

"_**Oh but I didn't bring you here mortal scum you were sent here by your precious friend, Don't you remember? And as for where we are we are in your mind"**_

"I see, we are here because I am dying correct? Well if you are in me and I die I can only assume that I am going to drag you along with me."

"_**Yes, the only way you can possibly survive is if you tear a small piece of the seal off and allow my youki to flood into your system"**_

"Okay" I said my to myself than anyone, didn't I just decide not even an hour ago that my nindo would be Trust no-one? And now a giant demon fox wants me to trust it, I suppose that's more of a something than a someone but the underlying moral of my nindo stands.

"NO I don't believe that tearing the seal off is the only way to help me heal me or die"

"_**Ignorant mortal what would you know of seals ripping a portion off is the only way to save yourself"**_

"I don't believe you fox, you are in my mind you know i'm not going to tear the seal, you know I am not bluffing, Heal me fox or die"

"_**Fine but know this scum next time you come to me begging for help I shall not be as receptive"**_

As I turned to retort I soon found myself no longer in a sewer and instead in a white, my eyes bleary and my body aching, I snorted to myself this is more life what I was expecting the first time, I closed my eyes weary from what had been both a physically exhausting and mentally exhausting day.

When I next woke I noticed I was chained to wherever I was but as far as silver lining goes at least I'm on a bed. I heard a nurse talking in hushed tones saying that it had just woken up and if you could please get it out of the hospital before it went on a rampage and killed some more people because she say what it looked like when it came in drenched in blood. I looked up and found both the old man and the traitorous bitch standing over me she even had the audacity to wear the fucking necklace I gave her, looking at them with cool disregard I calmly ask "Are you here to finish the job?" "Because if you are do you think you could take that necklace off? It meant a lot to me when I gave it because I gave it to my only friend, and I don't think I want my friend to kill me even when she hates me." Sighing in resignation I close my eyes "Please, make it quick"

"We aren't here to kill you Naruto" the old man says. "No?" I ask "I suppose I wouldn't have woken in a hospital if that were the case, I expected to way in a rubbish bin somewhere, this does make for a rather pleasant change I suppose."

"So" I say "Why are you here old man? What is to be done with the demon scum?"

"Naruto we need to talk"

"Do we old man? I'm quite sure I said all I needed to say to you when last we talked. And what is little miss birthday girl doing here with you? Shouldn't she be entertaining a prison guard somewhere? Last I checked attempted murder was illegal. Though I suppose I am the exception. Tell me Anko did you at least get your promotion?"

Her eyes widened in shock and she looked towards the ground. "I'm not an idiot Bitch no matter how often people call me one. I knew I shouldn't have gone to your house everything about smelled like a set-up but you played the one card someone in my position would just about anything to get, a friend. So tell me Snake-Whore did you laugh as they chopped me to pieces? Hmm Did you? Did it get you hot and bothered Anko? Did it get you off? Was them chopping me up a present for you or them?"

"**Stop it!**" the old man said his voice dripping with barely contained anger "You will be civil to Mitarashi-san she saved your life"

I couldn't stop it I laughed and laughed at the idea that she saved my life "So" I said amid chuckles "What about everyone else who decided to chop me up? Would I be foolish to assume they are in Jail?

" I have one of my top ANBU Kakashi working on it" "Furthermore it has been decided by me and my top advisors that due to the demonic chakra that was being emitted from you, you will spend the next two years under observation in a detention center" You will be released in time to complete your last year of training at the shinobi academy where upon after you will join the ninja forces."

"I see... allow me to get this straight I was brutally attacked and in compensation for daring to survive such an attack I am being thrown in jail? And " I said feigning ignorance "What is this you have been saying about demonic chakra? Hey isn't it illegal to throw a civilian in jail for nothing?

"The shinobi council have decided that you are too dangerous to be allowed to roam free you will be under observation and then you will join the ninja forces, no other answer is acceptable. As for demonic chakra you are not yet ready to hear that answer to that question."

Narrowing my eyes I replied "Well it looks like that's all decided what is the traitorous bitch here for? Am I to be roughed up on the way to the prison? Did she not get enough whenever it was that she had her birthday. Presuming of course that was her birthday."

"Mitarashi-san works in the torture and interrogation department of ANBU as you will need to be interrogated before you can go under observation. Mitarashi-san volunteered to take you down to the T&I department. Now I must be off, behave for Mitarashi-san."

And with that he disappeared in a swirl of leaves and smoke.

My mind was running through exactly what he had just told me. I'm to be tortured then thrown in jail for two years presumably with periodic torture sessions thrown in, after which I'm supposed to be a loyal servant of Konoha?

My face blanks but my eyes still seethe with unrivaled hatred. Looking up "Very well Mitarashi-san lets get this torture show on the road im sure you will be impressed with my healing abilities it will allow you to perfect torture methods on me that would kill others" I twist my face into a horrible parody of a smile "Well Mitarashi-san aren't you just looking forward to this? What fun we shall have" I say with with impressive false cheer and a bounce in my step.

She looks like she wants to say something but ive decided something I no longer care for the words of people instead from this day forward I shall listen for their screams. I shall learn everything that there is to learn about her craft and I shall use it against her, no more shall I care for anything but the screaming, pleading, begging, helpless and blood-filled cries of my enemies.

And even as I made that descision I could hear a low rumbling laughter at the back of my mind.

Today was the day that I lost my humanity, today was the day that I truly became a monster, today was the day that the legacy of my rise through the blood of my enemies started, Today Uzumaki Naruto died and in his place something new shall rise, something horrible.


End file.
